Report: Big Ten has 'everything we need' to add Washington, Oregon
The Big Ten Conference has long been suspected to want to add more West Coast schools to the mix. And it seems the league is finally poised to do that with Oregon and Washington on deck to join the league.
According to The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, the Big Ten is ready to go to add the two northwestern powers from the Pac-12 Conference. The only thing left to suss out is the financial situation for the new entrants in the league in terms of revenue sharing.
“There is no more research or information needed on Oregon & Washington. We have everything we need,” a Big Ten source said to McMurphy.
The University of Washington board of regents called a meeting for 9 p.m. PT on Thursday where they will enter a closed, executive session.
Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel reported on Wednesday that a group of Big Ten presidents and commissioner Tony Petitti were doing more due diligence on adding schools to the league. Beyond adding Oregon and Washington, the Big Ten reportedly could also pursue Cal and Stanford and create a West Coast bloc of programs.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the league has given Petitti the leeway to go out and do his due diligence on the Ducks and Huskies and bring back information to the presidents and athletic directors.
Oregon and Washington have long been thought of as the logical additions for the Big Ten
It’s been more than a year since the Big Ten turned to the Pac-12 to add USC and UCLA next season. Although Petitti pumped the brakes on expansion talks at Big Ten Media Days last week, circumstances have started to change as conference presidents reportedly held discussions about expansion Wednesday.
Two potential targets include Oregon and Washington. If that sounds familiar, that’s because it’s a similar conversation to last July, according to Thamel.
The Ducks and Huskies could make for intriguing candidates for expansion if the Big Ten chooses to go that direction, Thamel said on College Football Live Wednesday evening. It all depends on what happens with the Pac-12, though, after commissioner George Kliavkoff presented a heavy-streaming media deal on Tuesday.
“In talking to sources this afternoon, those logical expansion options would be Oregon and Washington,” Thamel said. “The Big Ten had been engaged with Oregon and Washington after its expansion of USC and UCLA. That didn’t work out. This time around, however, the Ducks and the Huskies are in a vulnerable position and they could likely come for a discount. I was told today that Oregon and Washington would ultimately represent about 13 football games that would get spread over the league’s current four partners. So it’s not like a whole new network would have to come in. Somebody would have to step up within the partners.
“But there’s a logical landing spot, and it’s a matter of what price Oregon and Washington would come in for. I think it’s a lot more attractive to the Big Ten now to get them at a discount.”